staff

1 of 2

noun

ˈstaf 

plural staffs ˈstafs 

ˈstavz

or staves

ˈstavz,

ˈstāvz 

1

a

: a long stick carried in the hand for support in walking

b

: a supporting rod: such as

(1)

archaic : shaft sense 1a(1)

(2)

: a crosspiece in a ladder or chair : rung

(3)

: flagstaff

(4)

: a pivoted arbor

c

: club, cudgel

2

a

: crosier

b

: a rod carried as a symbol of office or authority

3

: the horizontal lines with their spaces on which music is written

called also stave

4

: any of various graduated sticks or rules used for measuring : rod

5

plural staffs

a

: the officers chiefly responsible for the internal operations of an institution or business

b

: a group of officers appointed to assist a civil executive or commanding officer

c

: military or naval officers not eligible for operational command

d

: the personnel who assist a director in carrying out an assigned task

e

plural staff : a member of a staff

employs three full-time staff

staff adjective

staff

2 of 2

verb

staffed; staffing; staffs

transitive verb

1

: to supply with a staff or with workers

2

: to serve as a staff member of

an organization staffed by volunteers

Synonyms

Noun

• force
• help
• labor force
• manpower
• personnel
• pool
• workforce

Examples of staff in a Sentence

Noun

The entire staff has done a great job this year.

The staff is at a meeting.

She's a new member of the staff.

The general's staff is planning the army's next move.

Verb

We'll need 300 workers to properly staff the hotel.

the 300 workers who staff the hotel

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

With nine shows a week, ranging from Broadway-style musicals to chamber music and even opera, there’s a show for every member of the family performed by talented staff, many of whom have gone on to perform on Broadway and in famed operas near and far. —Esther Carlstone, Parents, 18 Dec. 2024

The business currently employs 85 staff, but Reddy expects that number to hit 120 by the end of 2025. —David Prosser, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

Verb

Three are staffed by workers from People Assisting the Homeless, or PATH, a nonprofit group that provides services to the city. —David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024

Diocesan priests generally staff local parishes, while religious orders such as the Jesuits or Franciscans often run Catholic high schools, hospitals or other missions, and aren’t confined to a diocese, which is typically based on geography. —Laura Schulte, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Robert Herguth, Chicago Sun-Times, Journal Sentinel, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English staf, from Old English stæf; akin to Old High German stab staff, Sanskrit stabhnāti he supports

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing staff

• chief of staff
• cross-staff
• ground staff
• half-staff
• on (the) staff
• staff nurse
• staff of Aesculapius
• staff of Asclepius
• staff officer
• staff of life
• staff sergeant
• staff sergeant major
• staff tree
• treble staff

Kids Definition

staff

1 of 2 noun

ˈstaf 

plural staffs ˈstafs 

ˈstavz

or staves ˈstavz 

ˈstāvz

1

a

: a pole, stick, rod, or bar used as a support or as a sign of authority

a flag hanging limp on its staff

b

: the long handle of a weapon (as a lance or pike)

c

: club entry 1 sense 1a, cudgel

2

: something that is a source of strength

bread is the staff of life

3

: the five horizontal lines and the spaces between them on which music is written

4

plural staffs

a

: a group of persons serving as assistants to or employees under a chief

a hospital staff

b

: military officers who assist a commanding officer in planning and management but who do not take part in actual combat

staff adjective

staff

2 of 2 verb

: to supply with a staff or with workers

Medical Definition

staff

noun

ˈstaf 

: the doctors and surgeons regularly attached to a hospital and helping to determine its policies and guide its activities